There are two types of people on twitter: those who want more followers, and liars.

For the average punter (read: not any of these folk), attaining a strong following on the microblogging site can be tough.

The majority use twitter solely to interact with their favourite actors, musicians, sports stars and others who are famous for the sake of it.

Others utilise the social networking site more strategically.

In this internet age, 140 characters or less can be used very effectively in a professional sense; as a free tool for exposure and promotion.

Entertainers especially can benefit from a well-executed twitter strategy.

South Australian comic Alex Williamson is a prime example of a bloke who has used twitter to heighten his fans and gain a heap of exposure.

Since joining the site less than six months ago his profile has skyrocketed.

Recently the 24-year-old’s had a string of sold out stand-up comedy shows in capital cities, featured on segments with AFL footballers, and won sponsorship from YouTube and clothing brand Shock Mansion.

Williamson now tweets his distinct brand of crass comedy to almost 25,000 followers, and he’s averaging just under 1,000 new followers every week.

Noting the success Williamson’s had through twitter, my younger brother Nathan- a budding comic himself, decided to create an account and push to get as many followers as possible.

As Nathan’s starting out as a complete unknown, with no YouTube videos to boost his profile, it’s a lot harder for him to gain recognition and exposure.

He joined twitter a few months back, and despite tweeting funny content (see below), he struggled to get followers.

As of August 7, after nearly two months of consistently humorous tweeting, Nathan had garnered just 20 followers.